A devoted (obsessed) 18 year old girl's views on all-things Yankees, and other random thoughts

Results tagged ‘ A.J. Burnett ’

No doubt, last night was extremely frustrating. The Diamondbacks are one of the worst teams in basball, so of course a loss to them is annoying. I adjusted my entire schedule so I would be able to see the whole game: I slept until noon so I could stay up late without an issue – and then I didn’t even want to. The most aggravating thing about the loss was A.J. Burnett. My lord, something must be done with that man. The Yankee lost 10-4, and I knew right away it was going to be a bad night.

Pitching Analysis: I tried to wipe the slate clean and give Burnett a chance last night. He got the first two outs quickly. Then Justin Upton hit a solo home run. Okay, I thought. 1 run isn’t the end of the world, especially since the D-Backs have Rodrigo Lopez on the mound. We can catch up.

I was wrong :(

After hits my Montero and Young, I was beginning to worry. But still, I thought A.J. would get out of it. Nope. Adam Laroche hit a monster 3-run home run. That’s what I get for being optimistic. But no, A.J. was not done yet. Mark Reynolds’s home run drained the last of my good mood out of me. After 1, the Diamondbacks led 5-0. I was ready to put this one in the “L” column.

Burnett allowed another run in the 3rd, and would have allowed more if not for a gorgeous diving play by Curtis Granderson. After that, I changed the channel whenever I saw A.J.

Yeah it’s hot in Arizona. But I’m not sure how hot you are anymore, A.J.

He finished the night having thrown 4 innings, and allowing 7 runs on 9 hits. His ERA is climbing, and is now at 4.83. A.J. hasn’t won in his last 5 starts. And when he’s on the mound stinking it up, he doesn’t even look like he cares.

Chad Gaudin pitched a scoreless 2 innings. I didn’t really watch him, but I’ll give him credit for pitching well. Once I saw Chan Ho Park, I didn’t even bother watching the rest of the game. I switched over to AMC to give my full attention to the movie I was watching when the Yankees were pitching. I didn’t get to see Park surrender the 3-run homer to Upton, making it 10-3. I was too busy watching Dirty Dancing. It was hot in Arizona last night, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I decided to turn up the heat by watching Patrick Swayze dance. Ow-ow. That made me feel a little better…

Mmmm…I love this movie. It’s so sexy.

Offensive Analysis: Of course, Rodrigo Lopez had to pitch the game of his life last night. The Yankee offense struggled. The first thing I had to cheer about was when Nick Swisher’s triple brought home Brett Gardner.

Oh, Nick…you are always hot ;)

To be honest, I didn’t see any other offense. They scored 3 more runs, but I didn’t bother to watch. But it wasn’t like the bats were hot anyway. The runs came on sac flies and stuff. Yeah that’s not good enough.

Despite the miserable outcome of the game, the Yankees are still in first place – a half a game ahead of the Rays, who are now tied with the Red Sox who cheat at Fenway. It’s getting awfully tight in the AL East. Hopefully, the Yanks can quickly forget this loss, and move on. There is no room for losing streaks. We’ve got to be positive!

Before yesterday’s Yankee game, I was upset about the state of the team. Game 1 against the Twins was suspended due to rain, and I was annoyed. Burnett was pitching just brilliantly, but the offense did nothing for him. I thought suspending the game would hurt the Yankees, because I thought the offense would just stink like it has the past week, but the pitching would be bad because A.J. wouldn’t continue – leaving it up to the bullpen (aaah!).

But to my surprise, the bullpen didn’t stink – instead, it was a breath of fresh air, much like a spring meadow. Robertson was good, Joba too, and Mo – well, he didn’t allow a run. Baby steps. Derek Jeter’s solo home run in the 6th was all the offense the Yankees needed. They won the suspended game 1-0. I was shocked – pleasantly. Good pitching [usually] beats good hitting.

Thank you Derek! We needed that game!

I was glad the Yankees won the first game, but I wasn’t sure if it would actually be a turning point. The Yankees’ last winning streak was May 14 and 15, just 2 games, against the Twins. I hoped for a game 2 win against the Twins to FINALLY start another winning streak, but I didn’t really believe they would do it.

But after the Twins scored a quick run in the 1st off Andy Pettitte, I was crushed. It was such an effort for the Yankees to just get 1 run in the first game – now they had to get 2? Impossible.

In the 4th, my darling baby Francisco Cervelli hustled it out for an infield single. Cutie Kevin Russo came up. He’s done a nice job up to that point, but I was in a doubtful mood. I highly doubted that he could do something AGAIN. But Russo delivered. His double scored Cervelli all the way from first, and the Yankees tied the game at 1. They were alive.

I like this rookie ;)

Kevin Russo started a rally later on. In the 6th, he hit an innocent little single after putting up a nice at-bat. Brettiboo Gardner decided it was his turn to make things interesting, and to get me excited in the team again. How does Brett get me excited? With his speed. I think it’s sexy. Gardner tripled, scoring Kevin Russo, and gave the Yankees a LEAD! 2-1.

The Yankees lost the lead in the bottom of the 7th, and I have to admit it hit me hard. But it wasn’t over. The game was still tied at 2, so the Yankees had a chance. Andy Pettitte was still in there for the bottom of the 8th. I thought that was a good decision, but after Butera led off with a double, I wasn’t so sure. I know Gardner just missed it, but it was still hit well. Then A-Rod made an error on a bunt, putting the Yankees in a sticky situation: first and third with none out. I couldn’t watch. I covered my eyes. Orlando Hudson then hit the ball back up the middle, and I shuddered. But miraculously, it went into Andy’s glove, for the first out! I was excited, but all those feelings disappeared when I saw who stepped up to the plate next: Joe Mauer. I went back into my cover-the-eyes mode. I heard the bat-ball connection, and bravely looked at the screen. ANDY INDUCED THE DOUBLE PLAY!!! Jeet to Robbie to Tex! 6-4-3 dp! Inning over, threat averted, huge momentum shift. Andy actually showed some legit emotion – fist pumping so hard I thought he ripped his arm out of his socket. It was a great moment for the Yankees.

Aw, Andy ♥

The momentum did shift in that inning, just in time for a Yankee rally. It happened kind of quickly. Nick Swisher just, connected, and that was it. Gone! That home run was a monster shot. Swish’s shot drained the energy from the Minnesota crowd. It’s as if their energy was drained, and transplanted into me. I believed again. The Drama Club struck again.

I bet his bicep is all better ♥

Mariano Rivera successfully closed out the 9th inning for the save, but more importantly, the 3-2 YANKEE WIN. Because of all the momemtum shifts in that game, and that the Yankees came out on top, I do believe this is a turning point. They played better yesterday. The heroes for these two victories are Derek Jeter, for winning game 1 for us, Kevin Russo, for contributing to 2 of the 3 Yankee runs, A.J. and Andy, for their gutsy starting efforts, and Nick Swisher, for wrapping up the series winwith his clutch homer.

Let’s hope the Yankees keep on piling up the W’s. Despite everything, they are only 3.5 games behind the Rays.

So today in school I was dreading to go to gym as I always do. And as always, gym period came. For the first time since like….well…ever, I had fun in gym. We played baseball! Only with a squishy ball and a wiffle bat. My team was awesome. Our whole lineup, which consisted of Rafael, Megan, Leland, Zach, Stephen, Jackie, and me, exploded with offense. And our pitching was great, thanks to Raf who filled in for the gym teacher. And the defense, especially Megan and Stephen, were on top of their game. We won in blowout fashion, something like 19-3. Our team was consistently good througout.

Why can’t my Yankees do this?

It’s frustrating….This past series in Detriot was utterly dreadful, with exception to game 3 in which Phil Hughes continued to shine and the offense woke up. I’m beginning to worry – have the injuries actually caught up with this club?

The fact is, the Yankee lineup just isn’t as intimidating at all. On Opening Day, the best bunch were sent out there:

Derek Jeter, SS

Nick Johnson, DH

Mark Teixeira, 1B

Alex Rodriguez, 3B

Robinson Cano, 2B

Jorge Posada, C

Curtis Granderson, CF

Nick Swisher, RF

Brett Gardner, LF

Take away Nick Johnson and Curtis Granderson. Then you have Marcus Thames and Randy Winn filling in. But if they play, then there is no one on the bench. Except Ramiro Pena and Cervelli (♥) Not to be mean, but Ramiro really stank the other day. He came up 3, I repeat 3 times with men on base/in scoring position, and made unproductive outs every time. Guys like Greg Golson and Juan Meranda are emerging, but are far from the quality of the Big names.

Wake up, cutie! You used to be so clutch…

Our pitching has been relatively icky lately as well. Javier Vazquez was very solid in his start, going 7 innings for the first time all season. Injuries to pitchers like Pettitte, Park, and Aceves have hurt the pitching staff. Sergio Mitre started for Andy the other day and wasn’t great. Sorry Sergio, you weren’t. David Robertson has been a nightmare out of the ‘pen. CC and A.J. both got knocked around too much in their last starts. It’s scary when the guys you really depend on fail you. A.J. goes tonight….I hope he fixed himself.

CC I was disappointed with you yesterday. I hope you do better next time, my Hefty-Lefty ♥

I know, I know…the team is just going through a bad stretch. But can they really afford to do this? Now? The Rays haven’t stopped winning. And tonight marks the start of an extremely hard part of the schedule for my Yanks: 3 against the Twins, 2 against the Red Sox (I’m still enraged at Josh Beckett), 2 against the Rays, and then 3 on the road against the Mets. These are games that the Yankees have to win, or else it’s gonna look bad.

But maybe….hmmm….maybe this bad stretch DID come at a good time….Maybe since they did bad the past series, the odds are in their favor to go on a nice long winning streak. And, maybe since Derek Jeter only got 3 hits in like 30 at-bats on this road trip, maybe he’s ready to wake up now. Yeah….and Cano will get hot again, because odds are he won’t be in a cold stretch for too long. And A.J. will beast tonight because, well, he’s a beast. Javy will follow up with another good start. CC will bounce back C “Cy” style. Robertson will find it. Cervelli will keep being sexy. And eventually, my wounded-warriors, Curtis GrandyMan (miss you baby ♥), Nicky-J, DandyAndy, Ace, and Chan Ho will come back.

Things will get better for my Yankees. Just as they did for me. My AP’s are OVER, and I miraculously survived. And I had fun in gym today? When does that happen?

Only 14 real school days left. Whoa. Then it’s practically summer, and in summer I can blog everyday again…. I bet a lot will happen in these 14 days, for me and for the Yankees. I bet we get some of our hurt players back, and the other guys will get hot again. And some guys, like Francisco Cervelli-welli-jelli-belli ♥♥♥ will remain hot all year long.

After losing their first series of the season to the Angels, then dropping the first one to the Orioles, I pretty much knew the Yankees were ready to turn things around. And that they did! After losing the first game of the series in a heartbreaking 5-4 defeat, the Yanks came out swinging early in game 2. They won that one 8-3. Last night, the Yankees won 4-0. It was a great game all-around for the boys.

Pitching Analysis: Alan James Burnett toed the rubber last night, this time with Cervelli (♥) behind the plate. Since Jorge’s knee is bruised (thank you, Jeremy), Cervelli has caught 2 games in a row, maybe 3 if he plays tonight! I wondered how A.J.’s rhythm was going to be with Cervelli instead of Jorge. No worries. The two did great together. A.J. was a beeeeast, and his nasty curveball wasn’t even as “nasty” as he liked. And he still dominated! He strolled through 8 innings, shutout style, and allowed 3 hits, and just 1 walk. The walk thing is amazing. Usually A.J. is….wild….and unpredictable.

Thatta boy, A.J. ;)

Offensive Analysis: The Yankee offense last night did its job. They didn’t need to knock in a ton of runs last night, because A.J. was oh-so spectacular. In the first, Mark Teixeira doubled and later scored on an A-Rod sac fly to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead. Both the two of these guys haven’t done much yet this season, but they are still doing the little things right – situational hitting, patience, etc. It’s gonna be even more fun when teir bats come around, too!

Seriously, what is up with Robinson Cano? I mean, what is UP with that dude!?!?! HE’S A BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAST SO FAR THIS SEASON!!!!!! It’s about time….I happen to have his rookie card! Haha yes…I do. I’ll try and refrain from bragging. Cano had another superstar night at the plate. Let’s see….I don’t know if I can count all the hits he got….can I count that high? In the 4th, Robbie hit a solo homer to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead. Then, in the 6th he doubled, and scored on a Marcus Thames double. THEN in the 8th, he homered again! Another solo shot! 4-0 Yanks! That was Robinson’s 8th big fly of the season. He’s batting .407 as well, which is not too shabby to say the least. Perhaps Robbie has a shot at winning the MVP? Or being a Triple Crown Recipient? I know we Yankee fans want this, but we must be realistic. The season is young. Just 21 games have been played for the Yanks. A lot can happen in the 162 game thrill ride of the season.

Robbie’s been getting it done all over place. In the field….

….and at the plate.

Still though, I’m not going out on a limb here. Robbie is an insanely talented player. Who knows what he is capable of….

It was comforting watching the guys bounce back after losing that series in Anaheim. And it’s even more comforting know they will be back in the Bronx tonight! I miss those pinstripes! The heroes for last night’s victory are A.J. Burnett, for his outright beastness, and Robinson Cano for the same reason. Haha those were obvious choices, lolz. I guess I’ll throw Francisco Cervelli in there too…just because he did so well fillling in for Jorge and looked oh-so-irresistable doing so.

WISH ME LUCK EVERYBODY!!!! I have to take the SAT tomorrow. It really sucks. Tomorrow morning, as in early. I’m not really scared for it. The last practice we did in school I got an 1830. But I never took the whole thing in one sitting before. I’m the kind of person who can’t sit still for too long. And knowing that my boys are playing in the afternoon isn’t going to help me focus. Also, AP exams start next week, and I am absolutely terrified for those. The history on is on Friday the 7th, and my English one is next Wednesday the 12th. I’m going to buried under books for the next week or two because of all this studying crap I have to do. It’s that time of year! So if you don’t hear from me much, you know why…..school has taken over :(

I’m still going to watch the games, though. I can’t afford to miss them.

Wow. Last night’s game was pretty exciting to say the least. Too bad the end result wasn’t a positive. I am seriously beyond tired right now. It’s Saturday. Why am I so tired? Well, thank you stupid west coast time, for making me tired and cranky. I hate when the game comes on at 10 pm. By the time I went to bed after the game, it was after 1 am. And I was a little bit annoyed. I can’t help but to get frustrated when I stay up late to see my boys when I could be in bed asleep, and then they lose. I don’t know. I guess I wouldn’t have minded as much if the game was in NY where it would have ended earlier. And I had to get up so early today too. I had to go sell at a bake sale at 9 am this morning. I can barely keep my eyes open now, and the next game is in a few hours! Maybe I will take a nap after this blog post. Sounds good. My Yankees lost to the Angels 6-4 early this morning (in my time).

Pitching Analysis: It was tough for A.J. Burnett last night. He obviously had no stuff. But I admire him for sticking it out and keeping the team in the game. In his 6.1 innings pitched, Burnett surrendered 4 runs on 9 hits, 2 walks, and he struckout just 3. He’s just so awesome. He worked so hard last night, the poor baby must have been exhausted as well. He threw 103 pitches, just 59 strikes. The 3rd was a rough inning for A.J., in which he allowed 3 runs. The Angels got 3 doubles that inning. They hit my tattooed sexy A.J. very hard last night.

Joba Chamberlain is the one who took the loss for the Yanks. The 2-run homer he allowed to Morales was the difference in the game. Hopefully, this homer won’t make Joba lose his confidence and swagger on the mound.

Aw, Joba…don’t lose it!

Offensive Analysis: The Yankee bats were not silent last night. They just were beaten. the 3rd was the big offensive inning for the Yanks. Derek Jeter had an RBI double to tie the game at 1. Then A-Rod came through with a clutch RBI single to give the Yankes a 2-1 lead. Tex was then hit by a pitch, and let’s just say he was not too thrilled…On Cano’s RBI single which made it 3-1, Tex went hard into catcher Bobby Wilson. The poor guy had to leave the game, with an ankle injury anhd a concussion. Mark Teixeira didn’t even look sorry. After smashing into the catcher, I saw him look back at him and thought, “Oh, that’s nice. He’s looking if he’s okay.” But then on the replay, I saw that was not the case. Tex went back to step on the plate again! LOL! He’s heartless! Haha my brother said Mark looks like he can get bitchy once in awhile. I kind of see what he means:

Somone’s cranky…

…and again! Look at that face…

….oohh…if I were in the dugout that day, I would avoid Mark at all costs!

One player who never appears cranky is Nick Swisher. He’s always a bundle of joy packaged conveniently in a sexy bod. Mmm-mmm-mmmmm……

This is a fine man….

Adorable….

…silly Swishy ♥

……………………………

Swishalicious definition….make them girls go crazy…..

What was this blog about again? I’m so sorry…heheheeee…♥♥♥…there should be a law against that….he’s too hot! Must….refrain…must…go back…to….Yankee…game…

Okay…uuhh…let’s see…sorry I’m a little distracted right now. I should have posted this pitcure AFTER I wrote the post, because right now I really can’t focus. My eyes are gravitating upward…

CONTROL YOURSELF, GIRL!

Aaah! Okay! Okay! Anyways…Nick♥Swisher hit a solo homer in the 4th to tie the game at 4 for my Yankees. But after that, the Yankees failed to score again. They must have been tired…I know the feeling boys.

So my Yankees actually lost 2 games in a row. Whoa. That’s okay. I’m sure they’ll bounce back today….if those idiots on FOX don’t do voodoo on them. I really hate those two. I hope the Yankees just clobber the Halos so McCarver and Buck stay quiet. Haha that would be awesome.

Yankees, I hope you are well-rested. I better go get pumped for the game!

The past week has been a great one for the Yankees. For me it’s been busy, but just as great. The Home Opener was awesome, especially because I won the cookies! Thank you, Yankees, for winning to the score I predicted: 7-5. They lost Wednesday, but who cares? They bounced back with a win on Thursday 6-2. Then the Rangers came into town. My Yankees won last night in a short 6-inning rainy game by the score of 5-1, and just won today 7-3, locking up their 4th series win in 4 series. I’m so proud of these guys!

The funny thing about all this is, throughout the week I have only seen 1, I repeat 1 Yankee game from beginning to end. Yeah. I don’t really like that…but what can I do? This is junior year…by far the most stressful year of my life so far. School has been intruding its way into the more important things in my life…sorry Yankees. That 1 game was on Thursday, where I decided not to do any of my work. Today, Saturday, I didn’t have to do any work. But my best friend was home feeling under-the-weather and asked if I could come over. Of course I did. Hopefully she’s feeling better now ♥ By the time I got home, it was 7-0 in the 6th. Whoa. My boys are holding their own without me.

Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett was a real beast today. He went 7 innings of 6-hit, shutout ball, recording 7 K’s along the way. I was pleasantly surprised to see him come out, and complete the 7th inning. I was worried, like many others were, about his pitch count. But then I remembered something: A.J. Burnett is a man. A big, tough, sexy-tattooed man. He can handle 111 pitches this early in the season. Oh yeah. He can ;) Another thing that surprised me was that he did all this with Jorge behind the plate. It really pleases me to see them getting along. The only thing I don’t like about that, is that it means Cervelli (♥) won’t be catching him every 5 days…I enjoyed seeing him yesterday though.

Alfredo Aceves allowed a 3-run homer to Nelson Cruz in the 8th, and was pulled for Marte, who did a nice job. Joba Chamberlain closed it out nicely, ending the game with a strikeout. He looks mighty fine himself…

Offensive Analysis: The offense exploded once again! Boy do I love when this happens. they didn’t score at all when I finally got to watch it, but that was okay – they had a huge explosion earlier in the game. Nick Johnson walked with the bases loaded to force in a run, and Tex drove in a run with a cheap little hit in the 2nd.

The 3rd was where the real explosion occurred. Gardner, who had a stereotypical “Gardner” day at the plate, (with 3 pesty little infield singles) drove in Jorge with an infield single. Then he and Granderson, who was on 3rd, tried to pull that old double steal of 2nd and home trick. Gardy broke for the bag, and the throw went wild! GrandyMan (♥) scored, the inning continued. Yay. In the same at-bat, Derek Jeter hit a 2-run home run, making it 6-0. What is up with Jeter lately? He’s on quite the power surge. I hope this keeps up.

Jeet also singled in the 2nd. He just sprays the ball all over the field.

In the 4th, Alex Rodriguez came up, still searching for his first HR of the season. After that at-bat, his wait was over! A-Rod went deep to right, finally filling in that home run column, and more importantly, giving the Yankees a cozy 7-0 lead. Awesome.

Hey good lookin’, whatchya got cookin’? HOME RUN!! Mmm…my favorite ;)

Good game today boys! Everything worked so smoothly. The heroes for this well-played win are A.J. Burnett, for his sexy-beastness on the mound, Brettiboo Gardner, for being “annoying” and making me proud with 3 infield hits, and Alex Rodriguez, for getting his 1st of many homers this season :)

It’s been a fun week to be a Yankee fan. These boys just make me so proud. Already, they are 8-3, and are in first place in the AL East. It seems as if a few guys left, a few new guys came, but the team is continuing right where they left off last season. I know it’s early, but #28 doens’t sound too far-fetched…

How comforting! After dropping the first game, my Yankees won the final two games and took the series against the Rays. In each of the two games, both the pitching and offense were spectacular. I couldn’t be prouder. My boys finished their road trip 4-2, after dropping the first game of both series, they came back to win each one, at the opposing team’s home park! I couldn’t be more proud. The Yankees won game 2 by the score of 10-0, and game 3 7-3.

GAME 2

Pitching Analysis: CC Sabathia proved he can possibly be C”Cy” this season with his start in game 2, where he flirted with history. He pitched 7 2/3 innings of NO HIT BALL!!! But then Kelly Shoppach had to destroy everything with his single. That must have made Joe Buck and Tim McCarver happy…I hate those guys. They just live to see the Yankees fail. But that little single was the only thing that tainted the Yankee blowout victory. CC was spectacular, no-no or not. I love my hefty-lefty :)

CC’s game face…lol. He looks flustered even when he is pitching well!

Defensive Analysis: The defense behind CC was superb in game 2. Each fielder stepped up his game, knowing that every play meant so much more. Some of the best plays were A-Rod’s diving play on Longoria’s sharp grounder in the 2nd, Mark Teixeira’s great diving play in the 6th, and another A-Rod one, where in the 7th he saved the no-no again with a diving play on an Upton hot-shot, and a bullet throw to Tex to get the out. GO D!!!

Offensive Analysis: I love it when the offense explodes, and boy it did in game 2. Robinson Cano put the Yankees on the board in the 3rd with a 2-run HR. Mark Teixeira got his first hit of the season with an RBI double in the 4th. And my darling baby FRANCISCO CERVELLI had a great day at the plate. He had like a 14 pitch at bat, in which he was behind 0-2 in the count, and worked a walk. Then in the 4th, he placed the most PERFECT sac bunt I have ever seen, which set up Brett Gardner to score on Jeter’s RBI single. Finally, in the 8th, my Cervelli crushed the ball into right-centerfield for a 2-run double. Who says Cervelli doesn’t have opposite-field power? Pshh…ignorance…

Game 2 was a pleasure for me to watch. And unlike in game 1 where I was completely selfish, I stayed on the couch the entire game and did not move. Well, that’s also because I didn’t want to jinx CC. But they won, and I had fun, so it was worth it. The heroes for game 2’s win are CC “Cy” cutie hefty-lefty, for his flirt with history, and….hm…I need to pick someone else…Francisco Cervelli! Because he was awesome and I love him! Well, that’s not really fair. The heroes are CC and the entire Yankee lineup for making me proud :)

GAME 3

Pitching Analysis: Alan James Burnett was ready to redeem himself after a not-so-flattering outing his first time around. But annoyingly, A.J. got off to an icky start. Not really his fault though – he was bombarded by the Rays and their speed: singles, stolen bases, and bunts. When the first was over, I was actually happy it only resulted in 2 runs. I thought it would’ve been worse.

Good Lord…that is ONE CRANKY FACE!!! A.J….please don’t eat me!!!

During this game, I was at a friend’s house doing a project. I remembered my promise to Javier Vazquez, and the rest of the team, when I vowed to never intentionally miss a game again. We were in her living room working on a poster, and she had a TV, so you know…I put it on. I got a little distracted, cheering and rooting for my boys. My friend was a little taken aback – she always knew I was a nut, but never actually saw me in action with the Yankees before. She said “Gin, I don’t ever want to be around you when you are watching a Yankee game EVER AGAIN!” She was kidding…..I think…

When the Yanks were down 2-0, my friend said the Yankees would lose. I turned sharply and gave her the most menacing stare. “Don’t you ever say that to my face, you hear me girly?” I shot at her.

Silence.

We stared at each other for awhile, then broke out into laughter. As we were calming down, I said, “But seriously: don’t say that. These are the Yankees. They always come back.”

Sure enough, my friend witnessed the Drama Club in action.

A.J. Burnett settled down beautifully after the first. He went 7 innings, just allowing those 2 runs. Joba Chamberlain pitched the 8th, gave up a run, but no biggy – Mo closed it out for the victory.

Offensive Analysis: There was a lot of pressure on me and my Yankees, because I made it seem certain to myself and my friend that they would come back. In the 2nd, my newest and truest love, Curty-Curt-Cutie-Curtis Granderson came through with an RBI double, narrowing the defecit to 2-1. I cheered. My friend said they were still losing. I said “Just wait.”

It took awhile, but my boys got back on the board. In the 6th, Jorge Posada hit a 2-run homer to give the Yanks a 3-2 LEAD!!!! Later in the inning, my baby Curtis scored on a pass-ball. 4-2 Yanks! I told her so I told her so I TOLD HER SO!!!!!

Jorge and Curtis (♥)

In the 7th, Alex Rodriguez decided to add to the lead. He hit a 2-run double to make it 6-2. The final Yankee run came in the 8th, courtesy of NickySwish. Swisher belted a solo homer; it was a no-doubter.

Game 3 was awesome!!! I love when the Yankees listen to me. I told them to come back and win, and they did! I have the power, lol. The heroes for this delightful rubber-game victory are A.J. Burnett, cranky face and all, for his skillz on the mound, and I guess the Yankee lineup again for their much-needed contributions :)

Isn’t winning so much fun? And isn’t watching 25 adorable men win for you even more fun? A girl could get used to this….♥

I knew I didn’t have to worry. Well, actually, during last night’s game I was worrying quite a bit. Yankees/Red Sox games just do that to me. But last night, by the time it was all over, I felt at peace once again. The positives of Sunday night were present again, ad the negatives turned themselves around. And seeing a certain someone pitch like way back in the days when that certain someone was good, that gave me the utmost sense of relief. My Yankees beat the Red Sox last night 6-4, and picked up their first of many “W’s” of the season.

Offensive Analysis: It was yet another strong offensive night for my boys last night. I was very proud, not only that they scored a lot, but they did so off such a tough opponent in Jon Lester, who surrendered 4 of the Yankees’ 6 runs. It’s comforting to know that no matter who the enemy puts on the hill, my Yankees never back down.

The Yankees got on the board in the 2nd inning, when Cano singled, Jorge walked, and the Swishalicious Nick Swisher drove in a run with his RBI double. I think this new hitting approach is going to really improve the already-solid Nick Swisher. That tied up the game at 1-1.

The Yankees kept fighting back last night, playing catch-up until the very end. The Yankees had a mini-offensive explosion in the 5th inning. Cutie-Curtis Granderson led off the inning with a single. Jeter followed that with a single of his own, which sent Granderson to 3rd base. Then Nick Johnson was hit by a pitch right in his back. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not. It may have been, because loading the bases there would create a force at every base. But there were none out, so I doubt it was intentional. With loaded bases, Mark Teixeira got an RBI groundout, bringing the score to 3-2. Trailing by 1, Alex Rodriguez came up in a clutch situation. I hoped his clutch-streak from last season would continue. A-Rod didn’t let me down: he delivered with an RBI double to tie the game at 3. Robinson Cano drove in the go-ahead run with a sac fly. 4-3 Yanks!

In the 8th, again trailing, the Yankees rallied. With the bases loaded, Mr. Plate Discipline, Nick Johnson, had a great at-bat. He walked, and forced in a run which gave the Yankees a 5-4 lead. The Yanks added a final insurance run in the 9th, when Robbie Cano hit a no-doubt home run. My Grandma was so silly in the 9th. She was begging for another run because she “is always a little unsure when Mo comes in. He is iffy.” That comment really caught me off guard. My response?

“Grandma, don’t be silly. Mariano is the greatest closer EVER! What do you mean he is ‘iffy?'”

That made her quiet.

But Grandma got her insurance run, and made it through the 9th inning just fine.

ROBBIE!!!

Defensive Analysis: There was a lot of stellar defense last night, along with some not-so-stellar defense. Derek Jeter experienced both. He made 2 breathtakingly beautiful plays: the first was in the 5th, where he made a fabulous jumping leaping play on an Ellsbury liner. He then stole my breath when in the 6th, he made a lovely stretching-reaching play to his right on an Adrian Beltre hot-shot. His error was just a little throwing error in the same inning. Luckily, it didn’t amount to anything for Boston.

Jorge Posada and Damaso Marte once again had defensive issues last night. In the 1st, Jacoby Ellsury got a cheap blooper that fell in front of Marcus Thames, (Gardner would have gotten it, but whatever) and then tried to steal 2nd. Jorge Posada flung the ball wildly into centerfield, letting Jacoby go to 3rd. Marte made a wild pickoff throw in the 8th. Actually, it wasn’t wild at all. It was lobbed to Tex as if a little girl threw it. Mark was not expecting that kind of throw, and missed it.

Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett started for the Yankees last night, and boy did he look good. He pitched okay, but he looked sooo goooood…..those tattoos…I don’t know what it is but I just fall for him. He was pumped up last night, which may have been why he struggled. A.J. went 5 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits, and struckout 5. He looked so good that I wasn’t even mad at him when he was stinky.

The run he allowed in the first was unearned, thanks to Jorge’s little blunder. Speaking of Jorge, I think he and A.J. cooperated pretty well last night, considering everything they went through. The big oopsy of his outing was the 2-run homer V-Mart hit off him in the 3rd inning. Martinez got to Burnett again in the 5th, when he knocked in a run with a double.

It’s cute when they aren’t arguing.

The bullpen was much better last night, thank God! Alfredo Aceves was really spectacular, continuing right from where he was last season. I guess his back really is feeling better. His 2 innings of perfect pitching amounted to him picking up his first “W” of the season.

The real star of last night was Joba Chamberlain. Oh, Joba…what a surprise! You can be dominant in relief! We never knew….jk! Joba entered the game in relief of Marte in the 8th, and inherited a very sticky situation: a man on 2nd, 1 out, and a slim 1-run lead. I prayed he would be the Joba I knew and loved way back when.

It made me almost tear up. Joba was spectacular. He struckout Beltre, then struckout Drew. Then, to my hopes and surprise, Joba fist-pumped. He hasn’t done that in so long! It was beautiful to see him having fun with it again, while also being dominant at the same time.

So beautiful….(sniffle)…HE’S BAAACK!!!

It was a fun night to be a Yankee fan. The game was very topsy-turvy, with the lead switching several times. But this time, it was my boys who came out on top. The heroes for the victory are Nick Johnson (cute!!!) for his patience at the plate, Robbie Cano for his production and that homer, and….JOBA, for his pure enthusiasm which led to success. Great job, boys. You’ve evened the series.

Tonight is the rubber game of this 3-game set. It would be very nice if my boys could win it, get a little lead over the Smelly Sox who cheat at Fenway, Oops…I insulted them again.

Pitching was probably the biggest reason why the Yankees won it all this year. Especially in the postseason, good pitching was crucial. CC and A.J. were signed by the Yankees in the offseason last year. The Yanks invested a fortune in these two, and they both were worth every penny. I miss these guys.

CC Sabathia had a fabulous year, and I was a little upset when he didn’t win the Cy Young. Don’t worry, CC, you will always be “C Cy” to me! CC ended the season 19-8 with a sparkling 3.37 ERA. He was a work horse, tossing 230 innings this year. But CC was even better in the postseason. When the spotlight was on him in the playoffs, CC was 3-1 with an eye-popping 1.98 ERA. His performance in the ALCS led to him being crowned ALCS MVP.

A.J. Burnett had a beastly year as well. His numbers on paper are good, but I think he was even better than they show. He was 13-9 with a 4.04 ERA, throwing 207 innings and striking out 197. A.J. was just so nasty on the mound this year. His stuff is so good, sometimes too good. His ball moves so much, that sometimes they ended up in wild pitches! A.J. isn’t too proud of his league-leading wild pitch total, but it does show how truly amazing his pitching is.

I love both these guys. CC Sabathia looks like a big, tough, hefty-lefty. He weighs 290 pounds and has manly tattoos. But in reality, CC is a sweetheart. He is such a soft-spoken, friendly, generous man. He treated his teammates to basketball games, and was always willing to just hang out with the guys. CC is also a great role model. He is one of only 2 African American starting pitchers in the whole MLB. CC is one of the spokespeople for RBI, Reviving Baseball in Innner Cities. CC is a great person for anyone to look up to.

Look at that smile…such a nice man! HE’S ADORABLE!!!

A.J. Burnett is so cool. He’s a real man. He has awesome tattoos all over, and he likes monster trucks, fishing, all that guy stuff. I used to hate A.J. when he was with the Jays. But the second I heard the Yankees got him, I fell in love with him. He’s a real wise guy. The whole pie thing? That was all A.J., encouraged by some of the other Yankees like Joba. Here are some pics of A.J. being A.J.:

Haha, he’s insane.

CC and A.J. Two guys who really made an impact in their first-of-many years in pinstripes. I don’t know which is cuter! Whoever I’m looking at at the moment, I guess. They are the 1-2 punch. Imagine being an opponent of the Yankees, knowing you have to see CC and A.J. in back-to-back games! That must stink. But it’s good for us Yankee fans.

CC, A.J., you are amazing pitchers and amazing people. I’m proud to call you Yankees. Enjoy the offseason, and I’ll see you two next year! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

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